


Chains Around the Heart

by KIRA_user_of_Death_Notes



Series: Mysteries of the Heart (post-Heart of Stone fics) [3]
Category: Runescape
Genre: Be Careful What You Wish For, Bittersweet, Comfort/Angst, Dubious Morality, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, Manipulation, Manipulative Relationship, Mind Control, Moral Ambiguity, Morally Ambiguous Character, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Psychological Drama, Psychological Trauma, Romantic Friendship, Shipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-29 07:19:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6364642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KIRA_user_of_Death_Notes/pseuds/KIRA_user_of_Death_Notes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/6364063">Reflections and Secrets of the Heart</a> and <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/6364459">Revelations From the Heart</a>. </p><p>Finally she gets to meet Zaros; finally she gets to ask him about his past, philosophy, and plan to stop the Elder gods. But she will have to swear a special oath, to not tell anyone about Zaros. And she must do this alone...</p><p>...without the World Guardian. </p><p>Why does the Empty Lord want her alone? What would he do/say to her that that he doesn't want the World Guardian to see?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The following story takes place after [Fate of the Gods](http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Fate_of_the_Gods), [Dawn of the Sixth Age](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6295795), [Reflections and Secrets of the Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6364063), and [Revelations From the Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6364459) but before [Dishonour Among Thieves](http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Dishonour_among_Thieves) and [The Light Within](http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Dishonour_among_Thieves). 
> 
> As usual, gameplay and storyline segregation, in which the elements of the game that can't be taken seriously/doesn't translate well into a short story, such as respawning, eating an entire shark to heal mortal injuries, etc. being be changed/ignored depending on the situation will apply.

There it was.

The white portal was shining so brightly under the mid-day sun, it almost glowed. Even far off in the horizon, it stood out very clearly against the lush greens of the Kandarin forest, like a rare gemstone amongst a pile of brass bars.

They ran southwest. Bryce led the way, and Ariane followed not far behind. She could feel the wind blowing through her hair as her feet carried her; it was the same wind that was carrying the smell of roses and vanilla her way. She closed her eyes for a second, and inhaled the smell of his cologne, before opening them again.

 _Bryce… you've been awfully quiet ever since last night,_ she thought. _That's…that's not like you; not at all._

And she was glad he wasn't his usual self, for in times like this; in times when such shocking revelations show up out of nowhere, she preferred solitary contemplation over conversation.

She recalled Bryce's words. _Zaros ruled with wisdom and justice; he was merciful to those that bent the knee, stern with those that did not and he punished those that rebelled. He was never corrupted by power; he gave the Empire countless years of peace and prosperity,_

 _He sounds perfect_ , she thought. _And yet… I still can't help but wonder if all of that came with a catch..._

She reminded herself of Guthix giving Bryce the power to resist divine magic, so he could protect the world from those cruel gods that would only turn Gielinor into another Askroth, and Armadyl saying he believed that gods and mortals can coexist in peace.

 _Like Armadyl, he wants peace, and like Guthix, he wants mortals to inherit the world,_ Bryce had said, but Ariane still had her doubts; after seeing and hearing about some of the more atrocious things the gods had done—from Bandos starting the Battle of Asgarnia for his own laughs to Zamorak starting the Battle of Lumbridge without ever considering how many people he would kill, injure and displace, to Saradomin doing the exact same thing, despite supposedly having a higher set of morals. It was hard, if not impossible for her to believe that Bryce's god was any better.

 _Zaros seems unreal,_ Ariane thought. _He'd give up the power to rule, even_ if _he was as Bryce said, the ideal god and the ideal king and there was nothing to lose for him and his people if he kept ruling...How can anyone choose that? This has to be impossible, but..._

_Bryce is convinced it's not; he's as loyal to Zaros as Sir Owen is to Saradomin…and whether or he's right, the fact remains, now that Xenia's…_

She gasped as her mind flashed back to the day before; she had shot an Air Surge that killed her former mentor. She could feel the tears coming, but she blinked several times to keep them from rushing down her cheeks.

Bryce turned his head back to face her, but he did not stop running. "All right there?"

"Yes, fine."

"Don't worry. We'll be there soon."

 _Zaros is the only one with a plan to stop the Elder gods,_ Ariane thought… _His plan won't drain Gielinor of its magic, but I'm still not fully convinced it would work…_

She nodded, as her thoughts trailed off. "We should go faster."

They did and the landscape began to change; the further south and the further west they ran, the less common it was to see trees, instead neverberry bushes appeared in their place. They soon passed a bearded gnome in yellow standing next to a strange grey rock with a large crack that exposed its bright blue flesh.

As they ran, Ariane could see the portal getting bigger and bigger, and she could make out more details, like the marble pillars and the stairs in between them that lead to the entrance. It wasn't long before she noticed the neverberry bushes becoming more and more rare until they disappeared, leaving them surrounded by tall, shin-length plants with large leaves, like the ones she had seen in Bryce's garden, except these were longer and wilder.

They passed three blue-green ponds, and by then Ariane was close enough to see odd markings on the portal's pure white frame, which was enclosed around a green circular doorway. They stopped moving south, and began running west. The amount of tall plants they saw dwindled, they didn't stop until Ariane found herself standing just a few feet from it, staring in awe at the pillars, stairs and the portal frame itself, all of which gleamed in the sunlight like alabaster, while its moss green opening glowed faintly like a pale aurora.

"Here we are," Bryce said. "At the World Gate."

 _The World Gate,_ Ariane repeated silently.

"They say Guthix used it to bring gnomes, fairies, ents, and dwarves into Gielinor," Bryce went on. "And of course men...Zaros used it too, for travelling the realms and planes of the universe."

And then it hit her, like a slap in the face. The druids of Taverley had spoken of it, although they called it by another name—the Portal of Life, which Guthix used to bring the race of men from their home plane. Never in her life, would Ariane have expected to lay her eyes on it.

 _And now I'm seeing it in person,_ she thought. _I can't believe it. This is…this is just…too much…_

She was about to take a step forward when Bryce held out his arm and blocked her way.

"Wait," he told. "We should rest before we go in."

That surprised her. Up until now, Bryce had wasted no time in bringing her here. His maid had woken her up an hour after sunrise and handed her an envelope with an unbroken wax seal. She'd opened it and read the note explaining telling her to meet him outside the house as soon as she was ready. When she was done, the maid brushed her hair and dressed her in the green and brown dress she had worn yesterday and brown boots with heels thin and long as spikes, before leading her downstairs to the dining room where she saw the elaborate breakfast laid out on the table. There was hot bread, pork sausages long and thick as her fingers, fried eggs, a pot of black tea, and jars of marmalade and honey. She helped herself to some bread topped with orange marmalade, eggs, and tea sweetened with honey. The moment she was finished, the maid escorted her out the purple portal, and she was greeted with the sight of Bryce in leather jacket and trousers, carrying a brown leather backpack as he stood next to Captain Bleemadge and his brown glider. He gave the gnome pilot a pouch overstuffed with gold pieces, and then told her he'd take her to the Tree Gnome Stronghold, while he would get there by his own means, though they'd both meet at the top level of the Grand Tree and journey southwest from there. After they left the Tree Gnome Stronghold together, they never stopped, not even for a second to catch their breath… not until now.

"Why?" she asked.

Bryce climbed up the steps and sat down. "As soon as we step into the World Gate, we'll enter a world where everything will try to kill you. There's lightning in Freneskae that strikes without warning, lava falling from the sky like rain, vents in the ground spewing hot steam, and sometimes the land itself bleeds lava…even the Freneskae air is toxic."

Ariane gulped. _And unless_ they _can be stopped, Gielinor will become…just like that._

A second passed before she followed Bryce up the step, and gazed into the World Gate. It was like looking through a thin and translucent silk veil, Freneskae reminded her of the Wilderness, with its rough terrain, rugged hills and valleys, erupting volcanoes, bright orange lava rivers, jagged mountain peaks and plateaus, all covered with dark purple ash, except it was even more lifeless.

Ariane sat down beside him, and wondered if she was looking into a mirror which reflected Gielinor's grim future. She pondered on what Bryce had told her. _Zaros wants to gain more power and reason with the Elder gods, but if that fails he'll fight them and beat them into a permanent coma._

And she remembered how he tried to reassure her when she voiced her doubts. _Don't worry, Ariane. He'll kill the Elder gods, I just_ know _it._

 _You_ don't _know,_ she thought. _You're relying nothing but blind faith alone. I don't think even you know the extent and limits of his powers, otherwise you would've told me for sure._

_That's why I'm sceptical.. If he couldn't beat Zamorak, how can he win against them? Gaining power would mean winning the Stone of Jas, but he can only do so if he kills the most gods. He's lost to Zamorak once, how can he beat him again? And what about Saradomin? He's even stronger now, can Zaros kill him too?_

She sighed mentally. _Perhaps Zaros will do a better job convincing me, after all, you did say I could ask him anything I haven't asked you. I hope he'll give me a better explanation._

She then wondered how much longer they'd have to rest. As usual when she was feeling impatient, time seemed to slow down, and a minute felt like an hour. She glanced at Bryce, and he too, was staring into the World Gate.

Bryce could feel Ariane's eyes on her, but he didn't shift his gaze way. He knew she was trying to process all that he had told her, and he knew she needed more time to think.

He thought of the first time he trekked through Freneskae, when he had to remake Zaros' body. That had been a perilous trip, and by the time he reached the Sanctum, he was bruised and scratched, his legs were scalded by the steam vents, his shoulders were burnt from falling lava, the tips of his hair was singed from the lightning and the poisonous air made him cough up blood.

 _I actually thought I was going to die,_ Bryce recalled, thinking of how he stumbled across the unfamiliar landscape, injured and forcing himself to go on, not knowing where he was heading or if he would get there alive.

_I won't have her go through that…_

The memory of Ariane being thrown back by Xenia's Earth Surge when they confronted her in front of the Wizards' Tower flashed through his mind, as did the one of Ariane slamming into the cave wall when the Prehistoric Abyssal hit her with his fireballs. He gritted his teeth as his anguish returned.

 _Not again…_ Never _again…_

His hands flew up, and he gripped the strap of his backpack tightly. _Because this time, I won't fail; I've come prepared, for anything and everything. I'm going to keep her safe, no matter what!_

He stood up, let go of the strap and extended his hand out to her. "Shall we go?"

Ariane's eyes widened at the gesture, for he had never offered her to take his hand before, and she was a little curious to know why he was doing so now. "Yes, but—

"It's best if we stay close together," Bryce interrupted, as if he read her mind. "You know how dangerous Freneskae is. Even if you're on your guard at all times, there's no telling what could and very likely would go wrong. I don't want anything to happen to you, Ariane…not when we're so close to what we came for. If it did…it'd kill me to see a friend get hurt, and I'm going to what I can to prevent it…isn't that what friends do? Keep each other safe?"

"Oh…uh…yes…I suppose so."

She placed her hand into his, and felt the softness and coolness of his palm. Without another moment of hesitation, they leapt into the World Gate.

* * *

 

They started running again, and it was just as Bryce said; nature was a harsher mistress on Freneskae than she had ever been in Gielinor. Every few seconds lightning would strike and steam would shoot up from the ground. Lava puddles were nearly everywhere—there was one every few metres and they had to sidestep around them. Every one in a while, the puddles would bubble and burst without any warning, and if they weren't careful, the lava would splash onto their clothing.

Even with her mind on high alert, she was almost hit a few times, but Bryce always managed to pull her out of harm's way at the last second. He never let go; not when they dodged lightning, steam, or bubbling lava, not when they crossed the bridge of stepping stones that had formed in front of the lava waterfall, not when they slid down a rather bumpy slope, not when they leapt from one ledge to another.

She lost track of the time, but to her, it felt like several hours at the very least. She was beginning to tire; her legs got heavier with each step, she could feel sweat all over her body, she could hear herself panting with exhaustion and she could feel blood trickling down her chin. She would've given anything to rest, even for a minute, but there was nowhere safe from the deadly Freneskae weather.

Ariane glanced at Bryce, who didn't seem to meet her gaze. His pale blond hair was tousled from running and his skin was covered with a light sheen of sweat, but his jacket was spotless, and so were his trousers, although the lava bubbles did burn a few holes in his black leather boots. There was blood coming from his mouth too, though his face remained expressionless. She wondered if he was as weary as her, but looking at him was like examining a statue and decoding his thoughts was next to impossible. When she had enough of that, her eyes focused back on the dark purple scenery ahead.

 _The longer you tarry, the more time you'll spend thinking about Zaros instead of meeting him and getting your questions answered, and concerns addressed,_ she told herself, and she'd repeat that every time she was tempted to stop.

By the time they reached the sanctuary that was the Sanctum's cave, Ariane was so tired, her legs gave away, and she immediately collapsed onto the ground. However, she was able to use her hands to break her fall at the last second. She began panting more profusely than she had before, and drops of sweat and blood fell to the ground.

Bryce sat down right in front of her. He opened his backpack and took out a vial of bright green liquid.

"Here."

She looked up, saw Bryce frowning as he handed it to her and wondered what could be upsetting him.

"Antipoison," Ariane said. She had spent enough time in Taverley to recognise potions, but she still wanted to hear him confirm it.

"Antipoison with roe," Bryce corrected. "It's a special barbarian antipoison mix, it's stronger than the regular kind. Drink, it'll stop the bleeding."

She took the vial, and did as she was told. Bryce took out another vial and did the same, and neither stopped until the vials were half empty. Then he wiped the blood away with the backside of his hand, and took out a lavender handkerchief with his family crest embroidered on two of its sides. He gave it to Ariane, and she used it to wipe the blood away.

Bryce shook his head when she tried to return it.

"Keep it."

He picked up his backpack, and began to walk towards the Memoriam device. Ariane followed, and now that she was no longer in constant danger, she was finally able to loov around the cavern.

Purple was all around her; the walls and ground were purple like the rocks outside, and they appeared to be just as rough. There were two cyan posts guarding the entrance she had just walked away from, and a few feet away from those posts were two more cyan ones. They were just as tall and thin.

 _Four in total then,_ she said, making a mental note to herself.

She could also see that the middle of the room was sunken in, like an empty basin at the foot of a mountain, only it was carved into a diamond shape, with purple stairs built in each of its four corners, and flanking each staircase were two purple posts taller and thicker than the ones near the entrance. She followed him down the stairs and watched as Bryce strode across the sea of black and brown and blue tiles that stood beneath the stairs. He stopped as soon as he reached the central tile—a diamond shaped purple one, with brown borders and a metallic blue cross in the middle.

Bryce took out a purple shard from his own pocket and turned to her. "This is it, what I've been waiting for. Zaros will be here any second."

"I'm ready," Ariane said.

 _Me too,_ Bryce thought. _And you don't know how long I've waited for this, ever since he gave me permission to let you know. I hated seeing you so upset. When I was finally able to say it after keep it a secret for so long, it was such a sweet, liberating release…to not have to have to keep everything I know all bottled up…_

_But…you didn't seem convinced of Zaros' true selflessness when I told you about the flawless way he ruled his Empire, you didn't think the desert bandits should have revenge on the bastards who took everything from them…and you were so sceptical of his plan..._

He took a deep breath and silently prayed that Zaros would make her understand, before inserting the purple shard of Zaros into the cavity at the very centre of the blue cross in the Memoriam device. As his anticipation grew, so did his pulse, and as the seconds passed, they became louder and faster, so much that he could've sworn that Ariane could hear his heartbeats.

His mind flashed back to all the careful planning he had done last night, while he paced back and forth in his bedroom, wondering how he could stay in line with Zaros' orders and get them to Freneskae as soon as possible. Teleportation would be out of the question, since they would have to cast the spells separately, and there was the chance of Ariane running off on her own, and travelling to the World Gate on foot was just impractical. Unfortunately, there were no fairy rings nearby, and the closest transportation to the World Gate seemed to be flying on the backs of gigantic eagles, but then they'd spend too much time climbing down Eagle's Peak. He told himself there had to be another way; there had to be another method of transportation nearby.

And then he remembered the Tree Gnome Stronghold. He instantly thought of gnome gliders, and he knew there was even a pilot near Taverley, but they'd have to fly separately. If they split up, she might go off alone, so he searched his brain for another way to get there. That was when he remembered the spirit trees, but in order to get the by spirit trees, he'd have to find another spirit tree, and there were only five of them in the world—one near the Poison Waste, one by the Mobilising Armies area, one in the Tree Gnome Village, one in the Khazard battlefield, and one in the Grand Exchange. None of them were close by, except…

It then came to him, he realised he had the ring of wealth that he almost always kept fully charged, he could use the ring, while Ariane would use a gnome gilder. But he'd need a quick way to contact Captain Bleemadge and convince him to take Ariane to the Grand Tree, as well as a way to prepare them for the arduous trip through Freneskae. It didn't take him very long to think of the gnome seed pods he had lying around, and he knew the gnome would do him this favour if he was given enough gold. All that was left was to think of something to make to protect them from the Freneskae air, so he spent the night brewing antipoison potions and packing his bag. He did not go to bed until he had everything.

He only slept for a few hours. When it was still dark outside, he got up and left his house. He threw a gnome seed pod into the air, and took less than a second for it to explode like fireworks. That got Captain Bleemadge's attention, he flew down White Wolf Mountain, and the two made a deal. Hours later after, when Ariane and the captain lifted off into the air, he rubbed his ring and was teleported to the Grand Exchange, where he ran to the spirit tree in the northeast corner. After he appeared in the Tree Gnome Stronghold, he ran to the lake beside Otto's hut and fished for some roe, and then he waited in the third floor of the Grand Tree. Finally, Ariane joined him, and their run began not long after she landed.

 _I did all I could,_ he thought. _It's time for you to take over from here, my lord._

A burst of purple lightning struck the ground, and with it came a large purple ball of light which instantly started to melt away, like frost in the summer, allowing Ariane to see fragments of the god that stood behind the disappearing purple orb. She spotted the dark purple of his sleeves, then the metallic blue-green armoured glove beneath, then the same metallic blue-green and gold of his shoulder pads, then the blue-green body armour over his purple robes, followed by the matching hood and blue-green mask that revealed nothing but eight purple eyes, glowing brightly like flames in the black night.

When the purple ball of light was completely gone and she could see all of him, she couldn't help but gasp at the sight of the god before her. He was at least two feet and a few inches taller than her and so alien-looking with his glowing eyes inside his metallic mask and the smiling gold mouthpiece in his collar. Yet, she couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at what she was seeing.

She couldn't explain it, but she swore she could feel power radiating from Zaros. It sent a shiver down her spine, as she gazed upon something so great and powerful, strong and deadly, something that made her feel so dwarfed by comparison, like she was an insignificant and vulnerable speck in the face of the universe and the mysteries that lay beyond it. It was a feeling reminding her of her own place, no matter how skilled of a sorceress or how experienced of an adventurer she became.

Zaros was a fascinating sight, and she found herself unable to tear her eyes away. Whilst she stared, Bryce knelt, like a knight before his king.

"My lord," he started. "I present you—

"Ariane Selwyn," Zaros interrupted. "Bryce has told me about you."

He spoke in a deep monotone, of several different tempos, as if different voices were speaking at once. Some of his words echoed, and his mouthpiece moved as he talked, but its lips stayed forever curled in a smile.

"You have questions."

Ariane nodded. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She tried it again, but she still couldn't think of what she should say.

_Who are you really? From what Bryce said, you were the best ruler anyone could hope for, and yet you'd rather give up your power and position. Why? Aren't you supposed to be the god of control? How does that fit into your philosophy?_

_How did the fight between you and Zamorak go? How did you lose? What_ can _you do in a fight? Do you have any unique powers? You're going to fight for the Stone of Jas, aren't you? How are you planning to kill Armadyl, Zamorak and Saradomin? You already lost once to Zamorak…how are you going to prevent history from repeating itself? And what about Saradomin? He's even stronger than Zamorak now, what's your plan to deal with him? And what about the Elder gods? How can you beat them?_

So many questions were swimming in her mind, she didn't know which one to pick first.

"You wish to know about my plans to stop the Great Revision," Zaros said.

"Sorry?"

"The Elder gods are starting to rise," he explained. "They're only stirring for now, but when they're fully awakened, they'll drain every ounce of Anima out of Gielinor to nourish themselves, and your world will become an empty husk like this one."

"So…how will you prevent that?" Ariane asked.

Zaros glanced at Bryce. "Leave us to talk, World Guardian."

"As you wish, my lord" Bryce said. He looked at Ariane for a few seconds, surveying her coolly, before he turned around and exited the cavern.

"I'll be by the World Gate if you need me," he said.

The Empty Lord turned his attention back to Ariane. His purple eyes, darker than Bryce's, pierced her green ones. He thought of the things he had seen inside Bryce's head; of her telling Bryce about her premonitions and how she tried to control it and even managed to trick a demon only to be expelled from the Wizards' Tower. He thought of her telling Bryce they would not hold themselves back from exploring Dragith Nurn's tomb, of her and Bryce defeating Magic Stick when the trolls tried to invade Burthorpe and Taverley. He thought of her and Bryce at the Varrock museum, looking at the ancient Zarosian tablet on display, of her and Bryce talking about his fight with Bandos' avatar, of her wondering about mortals fighting gods should another God Wars come, and he thought of her conversation with Bryce in the Blue Moon Inn the day Guthix died.

There was a brief pause before he got back to her question. " _I_ am going to become to become an Elder god."

Ariane's jaw dropped. A few second passed before she responded, and when she did, her voice came out as a whisper.

"What?"

"I intend to claim my birthright," Zaros continued. "Only then will I be able to stand equal to the universe's creators and speak on behalf of mortals."

Ariane became speechless for a few seconds again. "Your…birthright?"

"I was created this way," Zaros explained. "Created to be divine at birth by an Elder god. Unlike the younger gods, Saradomin, Zamorak, Armadyl, and Bandos before he was slain, I was never mortal."

"No…"

She couldn't believe it. Bryce never said he was created a god, only that Freneskae was his birthplace, and she'd assumed that he grew up in this barren land until the day he ascended to godhood. Just like the confrontation with Xenia in Lumbridge, Ariane wanted to sit down, have a drink, and let her mind process this new revelation, but she knew there was no time for such things.

"How?...How can...how is that possible?...Who?...Who made you?"

"Mah," Zaros answered.

"Mah…" Ariane repeated, thinking of Xenia's notes that she had read while Bryce and Kipple tracked her down and the lack of information on Mah compared to the other Elder gods.

"The goddess of potential," Zaros said. "Without her I would not exist, but she is like a child, despite having such immense primordial power that she can create life with but a thought. The Anima of this plane was not sufficient to nourish all the Elder gods, and Mah was malformed. She was born without memory or knowledge, only instinct. After finally clawing her way to the surface, her first instinct was to pour what little energy she had into the creation of me."

He paused before resuming. "To her I was akin to a child's doll, a toy to play with for amusement and to throw away when she got bored, nothing more. She gave me life but I loathe her. I could not abide her possessiveness, and I soon grew tired of my torturous existence. As soon as she started to weaken, I left."

 _Created by an Elder god to be a god,_ she thought. _So that's what he meant by his birthright._

She recalled Bryce's words again. _He wants to gain more power reason with the Elder gods, but if that fails he'll fight them and beat them into a permanent coma._

_A fight between him and the Elder gods is simply inevitable. They won't give up their source of nourishment so easily. But if he was an Elder god, he'd have a much better chance of winning…and I have a pretty good idea of how he'd gain enough power to become one of them._

Zaros went on. "It seems that creating me took all the energy out of her, for Mah fell into a deep sleep soon afterwards, though she had nightmares and she'd unconsciously create things, mostly Muspah—slug-like creatures with hard body armour and claws in place of hands and spikes on their backs. She created the Mahjarrat too. They did not exist when I left this place, but when I first encountered them I knew instantly that we shared kindred. Their name means 'the children of Mah'. Their crystals mark their divine origin. They were unmistakably relations. I saw them as younger siblings and sought to protect them."

He paused again.

"But even that was too much. She slipped into a coma, and was too weak to even dream. To this day, I am the only being in all of the worlds and planes I've explored, to be born a god."

As Ariane stood silent and stunned, Zaros thought about the truth he had omitted. He did not want to speak of her. In fact, just thinking of Seren, her glowing white eyes, smooth skin, hourglass body it, and the way she'd try to comfort him and make him happy caused him to feel such deep desire for her, he would've given his right hand for his sister to be by his side again.

"How…how long ago was that?" Ariane asked. "How long ago were you created?"

"Aeons ago, in the infancy of the universe," Zaros replied. "To my knowledge only the Elder gods are older."

She tried to picture how long ago that would've been, but her young, human mind found it hard to imagine the just how ancient the universe was, when she herself was no older than twenty.

Ariane decided to drop that notion. "You'll be fighting for the Stone of Jas, right? How are you going to kill the other gods? And Zamorak…what about him? How are you going to beat him this time?"

 _You think I will ascend to Elder godhood with the Catalyst?_ Zaros thought. _No. Not the Catalyst. It's an unreliable tool, touching it will alert and enrage the dragonkin, whether one's intent is knowledge or power. The Catalyst is what you might call a double edged sword, the stronger I get, the stronger they would get, and before long, they would come after me. While it would bring them all to one place and give me the chance to kill them all, I will not risk myself that way._

He thought of himself surrounded by dragonkin, having them attack all at once, with their immense strength and all consuming fire, and then he thought of himself falling to his knees in front of an Elder god, struggling to hold his body together.

_Should the dragonkin give me any severe, incapacitating injuries, I may not have enough time to recover…and if I fight the Elder gods in that state, they would no doubt incapacitate, or even kill me…and if I die, so would all of Gielinor…_

_No…I will not risk Gielinor's fate so carelessly…_

_I want the Catalyst and the Siphon, then Sliske would be prevented from using them. I want the other Elder Artefacts so the younger gods would be unable to use or abuse them. Even the Elder Sword, with its broken blade…I want._

_But I'd steal them from Sliske before I'd risk fighting for them..._

He envisioned himself, with his metallic blue-green fingers curled around the hilt of the Elder Sword, only the blade was fixed, as he pointed it at the unconscious body of Mah. Such a possibility was enough to make him almost tingle with excitement.

 _There are other ways of ascending to Elder godhood_ he thought.

Once again, he remembered his other half, and before his yearning for her could consume him and make him lose his sense of reason, he forced the thought aside and reminded himself that Seren was gone, shattered like a fallen porcelain vase. And just like a smashed vase, she could never be put back together.

_But I always have a backup plan ready…I may need to fall back on that…_

"Yes," Zaros lied. "I will need the Catalyst or the Stone of Jas as you call it. But I will not let history repeat itself. Zamorak will never take me by surprise again."

"Is that how he managed to beat you?"

"Yes," Zaros said, thinking of that day, when Zamorak's allies unexpectedly laid siege upon his palace. Zamorak himself had attacked him in the throne room. The usurper slew the blood reavers that guarded his throne, before stabbing him with the Siphon.

Even with the Siphon sticking out of his back, and smoke and shadow gushing out his body, the Empty Lord kept on fighting. But when he tripped, the Siphon transferred his powers to Zamorak, he bled out, and only escaped death when he ejected his soul from his body at the last second. Yet even now, he felt no hatred for the god of chaos. All he resented was the fact Zamorak's betrayal lost him centuries of time which he could've used to further carry out his plan.

"He knew he could never win against me in a fair fight," Zaro told her, lying once again. "He decided to take me by surprise. I never expected such a betrayal. Zamorak was once my most trusted general. I never had cause to doubt his loyalty, right up until the point that he betrayed me. I do not know what led him to it. In my moment of shock, he came at me with everything he could. He almost killed me…and he would have."

 _Zamorak stabbed Zaros in the back,_ Bryce had said. _And Zaros had to become incorporeal to escape death._

"And Bryce had to make you a new body," Ariane said.

"Indeed," Zaros responded. "And I can promise you he will never have to make me another; I will never need to abandon my body again, because I will never lose to anyone again, this I promise too."

Ariane nodded. "I believe you."

That was not a lie. A spark of devotion to the Empty Lord was brewing up inside her, although she did not know why. Seconds passed, and she tried to find a reason to explain this feeling, but she simply couldn't. It was like being unable to find the proper words to express her thoughts; like they were on the tip of her tongue, but no matter what, she just couldn't recall them.

"No other god can do what I have done," Zaros said. "No other god can abandon their body when faced with a mortal wound. Saradomin, Armadyl and Zamorak all think I've died, as they would have, had the same thing happened to them. This time, the tables have turned; I have the advantage of surprise. I will strike unexpected, and until then, I will stay in the shadows and learn their plans and secrets. I have been dosing so, since my return. I have seen the younger gods fight, I know their strengths and weaknesses, I know their limits and any special abilities each god has, I know what each of them are willing to do to win Sliske's game. Knowledge is power, and I have all of it, but they barely know anything about me…even Zamorak doesn't know as much as he thinks he does."

"He doesn't?"

"He does not," Zaros assured. "I am not the same god as I was when he defeated me. I've grown stronger in my exile to Freneskae. I have been draining energy from the muspah Mah once created."

 _So he's gained even more power,_ she thought. _It certainly wasn't enough for him to become an Elder god, but..._

"The odds are in my favour," Zaros said. "Saradomin has already bested Zamorak in battle, he is now weaker than he has ever been since his ascension to godhood, when the time is right, I will take him on. The divine energy I drained from the muspah will be enough. In addition, I still have my powers; my total control over the ancient elements: shadow, ice, blood and smoke. I can spawn tendrils made of divine energy. Once they're in my grasp, there is no escape."

Suddenly, the cavern grew cold, as if winter had come early. Goosebumps appeared on her skin, and she shivered. Then, she saw tons of small, but thin and sharp ice crystals, delicately hovering in the air. Zaros raised his arm, and extended his fingers.

_Whoosh!_

The ice crystals flew past her, and she could feel just how cold they were, when they touched her arms and legs. They hit the cave wall, and rather than falling to the ground, they stayed stuck in, like needles in a pincushion. Ariane glanced at them, then back to her arm, and to her surprise, she saw she had not been cut. The ice shards did not come close enough to scratch her, just enough to brush against her skin.

"I can manipulate those elements any way I desire," Zaros explained. "Any way I imagine. You have just seen one of the many ways I can fight. I can make ice appear anywhere, so long there's moisture in the atmosphere, I can shape it any way I want, I can do the same with blood, and I can make it burst out of your body, out of every orifice, though I will not demonstrate that."

Unbeknownst to her, a large shadow circle was forming directly above Ariane's head on the cavern roof. A shadow hand then rose from it, and it reached down, until it was able to grab her head. Ariane looked up, and gasped. Before she could do anything, the shadow fingers grew longer and longer, until they touched the ground. Then they became thicker and thicker, closing in the space between the fingers, until all she could see was darkness. She pushed against the shadows and pounded them with her fists, but nothing happened. She was about to scream when the shadows receded back to the cavern ceiling.

"Shadow is not so different from ice," Zaros said. "I can make it appear anywhere, and I can also shape it any way I want. Even if you cut them with a blade, the shadows will always reform."

Ariane was about to say something when she heard a crackle. She turned her head back, and saw the ice shards coming out of the wall, and combining together, in the shape of a man that was just a few inches taller than her. The man walked towards her, but then, without any warning, black tendrils sprung up from the ground, and wrapped themselves around his legs. He tried to pull them off, but like the shadow fingers, they grew and grew, until he was completely caught, like a seagull in an octopus' tentacles.

"Had he been a living creature, I would be able to siphon his energy to make myself stronger," Zaros said. The possibilities to my powers are endless. Know this, Zamorak will die. What I'll gain from killing him...that would be would be enough for me to kill Saradomin. In the meantime, I will be relaying everything to my followers, and they will arrange a strategy to counter anything the younger gods think of."

Ariane remembered what Bryce had told her. _He gathered what was left of his followers—ones who could help him—just four people, myself included and he gave us all new orders._

"Would that be enough?" she asked. "You only have three followers, not counting Bryce…though you do still have an entire village of bandits in the desert, am I right? But what can they do?"

"Not much," Zaros said. "If they're placed next to my generals Nex, Char, Azzanadra. Each one of them is worth an entire legion of Zamorakian Mahjarrat and demons or Saradominist icyene. Even the World Guardian is strong in his own right; he has shown me remarkable inner strength and the capacity to overcome any obstacle. Nevertheless, the desert bandits still have their own role to play."

 _They're still faithful that someday Zaros would return and take revenge against all who wronged them,_ Bryce told her yesterday.

"Revenge for everything the Zamorakians and Saradominists have done?" Ariane asked.

"That would serve no purpose," Zaros said. "There are more pressing matters that require my attention."

Her eyes widened in surprise, as Bryce's words came to her again. _They crucified them all. In the end, they didn't have much wood left, so they impaled the rest on roughly sharpened wooden spikes, and it took several days for the spike to go up their arsehole and out their mouth…_ _a small group managed to escape into the Khadian Desert…one does not simply forgive those that committed such atrocities against their people—they've been exiled, they've lived in poverty, yet they've endured, believing one day, all the wrongs against them will be reversed. To deny them the one thing they believed in would be cruel…_

She recalled the way Bryce looked when he said those words. His eyes had been cold and hard as the amethysts they resembled, and his tone was bitter and full of spite.

And then she thought of her response. _But…that would result in more war and bloodshed...what the Saradominists and Zamorakians did was obviously wrong, but revenge is wrong too._

"You…don't want revenge?" she questioned. "Bryce told me what the Zamorakians and Saradominists did…how they executed all your followers but a few…how slowly and painfully they died. He says they live for nothing but revenge…he..."

_He seemed so sure, so fervent, so relentless about it…._

"…Even after everything they've been through, you're still doing to forgive them?"

 _No doubt the World Guardian wanted revenge,_ Zaros thought. _His loyalty is not unexpected. He is extremely dedicated to the faction, that is all too true. Azzanadra taught him well...perhaps_ too _well._

"All else matters naught in the face of the Great Revision," Zaros said again. "My foremost goal is to become an Elder god. Only then will I be able to stand equal to the universe's creators and speak or fight on behalf of all mortals. Revenge does not get me closer to that, neither does forgiveness."

Ariane did not reply. Her mouth was open in disbelief as soon as she heard that. _He really is nothing like Saradomin, Zamorak, or anyone else...If it was either of them in the exact situation, they would've taken revenge for sure; Zamorak would, so would Saradomin…even if all of his followers insist he'd do better. But Zaros...he'd…_

She found herself thinking of her answer to Bryce's question, if she could really forgive those who committed such atrocities against mankind. _To forgive is ideal, but is it impossible? Could I have done it? Taken the higher road as they say?_

 _But Zaros did not forgive…all he wants is to complete his plan. I can't say I blame him. The...Great Revision isn't like anything we've_ ever _faced before. If the Elder gods truly wake up, then...all is lost, and Gielinor will truly become the second Freneskae…empty, desolate…dead._

She wanted to aid him, any way she can. She wanted to serve him, bring victory to his cause, and see him win against Saradomin, Zamorak and even Armadyl. Most of all, she wanted to see him beat the Elder gods into oblivion. Although she assumed her new found sense of allegiance was most likely the result of a desire to see the Elder gods defeated and Gielinor safe, she could not help but feel perplexed at Zaros' lack of response concerning those things.

"You…you don't believe in revenge?" she asked. "Or forgiveness?"

"I do not care for either of them," Zaros said. "Or the sentimental. Such things are pointless when the Great Revision is ahead. They will not save Gielinor from death and destruction, only I can, thus my ultimate goal is of the utmost importance. I will not concern myself with distractions."

Ariane fell silent. _He's inhuman…he doesn't feel anything…he's just calculating. But he has a noble goal in mind…and I want..._

Her pulse quickened, as her loyalty to Zaros grew. She gulped. _I want to help him._

"I will never let Gielinor fall," Zaros promised. "I swear to you, I will do everything I can to beat the Elder gods all into a permanent coma. I will push my powers to the edge, and I will not stop until nobody but me is left standing. I will pour every ounce of my strength into defeating them; nothing will stop me or make me give up. Gielinor is a perfect world, a diamond amongst rhinestones. It is home to generations and generations of sentient life, life so fragile, yet forever enduring and flourishing, like a blooming winter rose. I believe that the Elder gods' time is done, that they have failed. A new world order is required. Conscious life was not the intention of the elder gods, but it is their creation nonetheless. Yet they are blind to it, and would consign it all to the Abyss without a second thought. Life is worth more, so much more than that, and I, _only_ I am willing to fight, on behalf of everyone."

"And...and if you… _win_ …"

She had to strain to say the last word aloud, as if doing so would jinx the plan, but she allowed herself to hope that Zaros would succeed. It was _so_ human of her, and she simply could not help it.

"I will usher Gielinor into a new age," Zaros said. "The Empire failed, and is no more. To build another would be folly. Mortals cannot be united by will or by force alone. I see my role now being to lead mortals towards uplifting themselves...and to work with those powerful few who have stepped beyond the need for guidance. I see this in the World Guardian, as did Guthix."

"You don't want to control mortals?" Ariane asked. "But you're the god of control."

"The failure of my empire opened my eyes," Zaros explained. "Since then, I have had much time to consider my failures. I was acting no better than Mah, attempting to control mortals. Now I know...life cannot be contained, not by any god, not even by the Elder gods. Life breaks free, and even in the face of complete annihilation, life will find a way, and life will thrive. Now, I merely wish to encourage certain individuals to reach their full potential. Individuals such as myself when I managed to break free from Mah, and the World Guardian, when Guthix bestowed upon him the power to defy divine magic."

Ariane reflected on everything she had heard so far. Zaros had good intentions, as well as a philosophy that sounded more appealing than anything she heard from Kara-Meir, Garlandia, and even Holstein. He was also the only one who had a way of stopping the Elder gods from waking up, and his plan would not drain Gielinor of its magic.

"Ultimately that is not important," Zaros continued. "The Great Revision is coming, and if we are to survive, I must claim my birthright."

She nodded, before responding a second later. "There's too much at stake."

"Indeed," Zaros agreed. "Thanks to the World Guardian, I am returned to full strength, and shall resume the pursuit of my ultimate ambition. Until then, do as you would always do. Choose your path. Follow whatever philosophy or god you desire."

Ariane's eyes widened in shock. "You…you don't want me to worship you?"

"I do not require your fealty," Zaros replied. "Though I welcome it should you wish to give it."

_A god that doesn't demand to be worshipped...that's not…it's can't be..._

And yet it was all too true. She was dumbstruck, as she had been, when Zaros revealed he was created by Mah and thus born a god. Hearing that Zaros had no desire to be worshipped was just the same for her as hearing Bryce speak of how Zaros wanted to let mortals inherit a new world free of gods, despite being the god of control who was able to flawlessly rule his empire. She was just as surprised, except now she was almost certain there was no catch to Zaros' plans.

 _This is the true Zaros,_ she decided, her loyalty to him growing every second and burning bright as flame within her. _He is just as noble as Bryce said, in his philosophy and his goals. There is so much at stake, but also so much to live for. If Zaros comes out victorious…_

Her mind conjured up a world without Zamorak or Saradomin or even Armadyl constantly waging war on each other, a world where mortals would strive to become their best, a world that was not robbed of its magic, a world Guthix could have been proud of.

_Before we can live in that world, we must brave through the enormous storm ahead. And just as Zaros will do anything he can to become an Elder god, so will I…just like you, Bryce...you'll be helping Zaros for sure...I'll be by your side, doing the same._

"I've heard all I need to."

"Indeed," Zaros said again. "But before we both leave, I must ask you to swear an unbreakable blood oath."

"A blood oath?"

"Yes," Zaros told her. "My followers are scarce, you know that. They are strong, but they must work in secret. Should any news of my return or my plans leak, Zamorak and Saradomin's servants will most certainly try to stop me. Time is of the essence, the Elder gods will soon be awake. For now they are at the border between sleeping and awakening, you know that. The blood oath will ensure that you'll keep everything I have revealed to yourself. It won't hurt...much."

Ariane gulped, and a drop of sweat ran down her face, but the implication of pain could not faze her or her inner urge to help Zaros succeed.

"I'm ready," she said.

"Very well."

As soon as he uttered those words, purple divine energy shaped like coiled metal springs surrounded her, closely but not touching her. Her feet were lightly lifted off the ground, and a second later, she found herself several feet away from the top of the stairs above the tiles around the Memoriam device.

Zaros materialised before her. "Of all the ancient elements, blood is the only one that can bind individuals together. You will swear to me that you will not not repeat any of what you've heard to my enemies, and your blood will have the power to tie your promise to your life...and to me. That is to say, you will keep your oath until the moment you die, it will make sure of that. Furthermore, the blood oath must be done within a sacred magical circle."

"I've used magical circles before," Ariane said "I know—

"This circle must be made with blood," Zaros put in. "Your blood."

He plucked a long blue-green shard off his gilded shoulder pads, and handed it to Ariane, who looked at it for a split second before she removed her brown leather wristband and made a deep, horizontal cut from her inner elbow to her wrist. The pain made her wince, but she did her best to ignore it, as she walked a circle around Zaros and blood dripped from her arm to the floor of the Sanctum. She pushed the crystal blade deeper into her skin, and bit her lip to counter the pain, but she did not stop until a large, perfectly rounded circle of blood was formed around Zaros.

She stepped into the blood circle, and handed the shade back to Zaros, who walked to the circle, dipped the shard in blood, and immediately drew the same, strange symbols she'd seen carved on the World Gate, around the circle. When he was finished, he came back to the inside of the circle.

"Let us begin," he said.

The Empty Lord emitted purple lighting-like energy from his entire body. He slammed his palm onto the ground, sending veins purple energy to the circle of blood, and another, thicker one to Ariane. The purple energy veins stopped at her feet, and they shot up her body, as if she was a lightning rod, but she did not feel any pain. In fact, she felt nothing at all, as she was engulfed with energy.

Zaros stepped forward and placed his right foot next to his hand, and he concentrated on making the energy flow from his foot, before he removed his hand from the ground.

"Swear me your oath," he ordered. "Swear it now."

Ariane immediately opened her mouth and began to speak. "I, Ariane Selwyn swear before you Zaros, that I will never, _ever_ , on any condition repeat what I have heard today to those who don't follow you. I will stand by this promise, and remember it for the rest of my days. Only death can free me of this oath. Until then…silence and secrecy will be my duty."

"From this day until your last," Zaros added. "Your words shall be bound to your actions by your intent…and by me."

He motioned for her to get closer, and she did as he commanded.

"Open your mouth," he said.

She did that too, and Zaros reached in and grabbed her tongue with his long, claw-like blue-green fingers. Before she could react, he pulled with all his strength. The muscles in the back of her mouth were unable to withstand it. In the face of such power, they were torn, like they had the fragility of mere paper, and a second later, her tongue simply popped out.

Blood immediately gushed out of her mouth, streaming down her chin, before falling onto the dark purple ground in red drops. And then the pain came.

Searing pain, as if her tongue had been her hands and feet that were tied to ropes on one end and camels on the other; camels which ran in four different directions, to rip off the limbs of a condemned Al Kharid criminal.

"Ah!...Ah!..."

She was not even shocked or angry at what Zaros had done, for the pain was so great, it was the only thing on her mind. All she wanted was for it to stop—potions that would render her too numb to feel anything or potions that could knock her out for a bit. She would've settled for anything.

Zaros ignored her cries. He concentrated and willed divine energy in his hand to move to the shard he was holding, and shape it into a tongue that would function as her old, pink one once did. In a second, translucent purple energy flowed down and coated the metallic shard.

The divine energy induced a transformation process. The shard shrank and its sharp edges were rounded out, and on one end, blue-green muscles that looked just like the ones he had torn, began to form.

For Ariane, it seemed like hours before it was complete, and Zaros put the substitute tongue into her mouth. With the help of the divine energy covering it, the new tongue automatically reattached itself to the broken muscles. The energy started healing them too, and the pain started to grow dull.

Zaros concentrated on directing some of the energy around Ariane's body to absorb into her, before making the rest return back into himself. Naturally, the energy did exactly what he wanted; a bit went into Ariane's body through her open mouth, most of them rushed back to him through the purple energy veins. Then, they became shorter and shorter, as the energy which they were made of flowed back to him.

"It is done," he concluded.

Ariane smiled, feeling nothing but gratitude and loyalty to the Empty Lord. "Thank you."

"Until the next time we meet, do as you otherwise would, had we not met. _Pax tecum_."

* * *

 

Bryce broke into a smile the moment he saw the scarlet-haired sorceress return from the World Gate. She had been gone for quite a while, and while he waited, he imagined how Zaros and Ariane's conversation might have gone, and he wondered how a blood oath would be done.

The more he thought about it, the more he wished that Zaros had allowed him to stay, and the more he wanted to go back to the Sanctum, but he knew he could not disobey Zaros, so he stood by the World Gate, and imagined of he best scenario possible, where Ariane would understand his plan, and maybe even realise just how benevolent of a god he was.

"How did it go?"

Ariane returned his smile. "Wonderful…"

She recounted everything that happened after Zaros asked him to leave, before sticking out her tongue and showing him the replacement.

Bryce's jaw dropped. He could not look away from it. His blood ran cold, he could not say a word, and all he could think of was the conversation he and Zaros had.

_A blood oath…My lord, if I may ask, would the ritual…hurt her?_

_Not much,_ Zaros had told him.

He was also reminded of what Zaros had told him just before they both returned to Gielinor to meet with Azzanadra, Char, Nex and Sliske. _You may come to learn something about me—that I...compel loyalty within others, forcibly._

 _Against their will?_ He asked at the time.

 _It is not something I have control of_ , Zaros had clarified. _It is something that was done to me by Mah. I am unable to rid myself of this... ability, but I must live with it. Do not be concerned—it does not affect you, World Guardian._

 _But it affects your followers?_ He'd asked.

 _Yes,_ Zaros had said. _I find the idea of coercing another mind to be... distasteful. But it only affects those in my presence, and the effect dissipates with time. This is how I know that those still loyal to me are truly loyal. They have not been under its effects for many centuries, yet still heed my call. I wished for you to know this from me, so that you could understand it._

"I'm sorry, Bryce" Ariane said. "I was wrong to doubt him. Zaros is as you said, noble and selfless, honourable and righteous. He will stop the Elders, I'm sure of it, and I will do everything I can to help him. You'll do the same. That means…we'll be working side by side…together."

Bryce said nothing in return. He just stood there, and stared straight ahead, not at Ariane, but just into the vast green space before him, as if she was not there. In his head, she wasn't; he was alone with nothing but Zaros' words repeating themselves. Several seconds went by, but he never moved or spoke, or even blinked.

"Bryce…" Ariane tried again.

Again, he did not answer. He kept staring and thinking of what Zaros had said. Ariane placed a soft, white hand on his cheek.

"Bryce…"

He did not respond. It was like he ceased to function like a person, even though his heart was still beating, and his breathing was normal.

"Bryce…"

There was still nothing.

"Bryce!"

She slid her hand down to his shoulder, grabbed his other shoulder with her free hand, and she shook him. That finally got some of his attention, and he looked down at her. She gazed into his eyes, and realised how dull they had become. The light in them had gone, now they were lifeless and vacant, as if a vital part of him was gone. For a moment, she wondered if he would suddenly collapse.

"Bryce," she said. "What's going on? Are you all right?"

A few seconds passed, before he blinked, but the dullness in his eyes did not fade.

"I...I'm sorry."

Without another word, he pulled her into a hug, with both of his arms around her waist.

"I'm sorry, Ariane."

Ariane let her hands drop and she hugged him back out of politeness so she wouldn't appear awkward, than desire.

Bryce remembered Zaros' answer to his question about how painful the blood oath might be, and the relief that washed over him afterwards. He tightened his grip around her body.

"Forgive me."

"Bryce, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing," he lied.

"You're acting very strange," Ariane remarked. "You ignore me and now you have your arms around me…what's the deal?"

Bryce took a few seconds to reply. "It's…noth..."

He cut himself off.

There was a long pause before he took his hands off her. "I'm sorry…I just remembered…I have some…unfinished business with Zaros…I must attend to that."

Ariane opened her mouth, but Bryce continued to speak.

"Alone," he told her. "He insisted I go to him alone. I'm sorry…I have to leave now."

Frustration boiled inside her. He already told her everything, Zaros opened her eyes, and made her realise her loyalty, she even swore an unbreakable oath, promising to never open her mouth to the wrong people, hadn't she done enough? She certainly felt loyal enough, wasn't she a part of their faction now? Doesn't she deserve to know too? Zaros already told her so much, surely a bit more wouldn't hurt.

But she knew better than to question the Empty Lord, whom she was beginning to think as her new master, or disregard his orders.

"Fine," she said. "Shall I wait for you?"

"Please do."

* * *

 

He leapt aside, as another bolt of lightning struck the ground. The toxic air was making him cough, and he covered his mouth to do so. When he was done, he removed his hand and saw blood on his palm. He wiped it away on his trousers, and kept on charging forward.

With each step, his shock, anger and sense of betrayal grew. He wanted nothing more than to have a chat with the Empty Lord.

_Why did you do it? Why did you lie? You said the blood oath wouldn't hurt her, but…you...you lied to me…Why?_

_Just like how you lied about not wanting to force loyalty on others…yet you…you did so on Ariane…you said those who were always by your side would automatically feel loyalty for you..._

_Her new tongue…it's a part of you that would always be with her…it's your way of ensuring loyalty, isn't it?_

_You told me you thought that was distasteful… but that's a lie… Why?...Why did you lie to me? ._

As he ran faster, his eyes shifted back and forth, watching out for lava, lightning and steam. He wanted nothing but answers; he wanted them as soon as possible, so much that it was the only thing one his mind. He didn't realise how tired he was until he arrived at the Sanctum and started panting.

Zaros had not teleported out since meeting Ariane and making her swear a blood oath. He had been standing facing the cavern entrance, as if he was expecting a confrontation with the World Guardian.

Bryce wanted to start his question immediately, but he forced himself to kneel in front of him.

"Get up," Zaros told him.

He did as he was told. "What is the meaning of this?"

Despite the concoction of emotions inside him, he kept his voice calm, although he managed to make himself sound as stern as he could, to his god.

He went on. "You lied to me. You said the blood oath wouldn't hurt her. Instead, you tore her tongue out. You told me you didn't like forcing loyalty on others with your presence, but the replacement tongue you gave her...that tongue would stay inside her forever. Why? Why did you lie?"

"You know why," Zaros replied. "You know I have little followers left. You know Azzanadra, Char, and Nex are all tasked with very important assignments. Their success is vital for the fate of Gielinor. If she speaks one word…even _one_ word to my enemies, they'd form one big alliance against me. That would benefit no one. You know perfectly well I would only let you tell her about me on one condition—that she would not pass it to anyone who does not follow me. You know perfectly well I must do what I can to prevent her from exposing the truth. If I had not conducted that blood oath, a disaster could have befallen upon us. I merely prevented it; now there's zero chance of such a thing ever happening."

"You _lied_ ," Bryce said. "You said you hated to see loyalty being forced on your own men, you said you wanted them to follow you out of their own free will…yet you took away Ariane's."

"Did you think I enjoyed it?" Zaros asked. "You of all people, should know that we must all do things we don't want, things we hate. Yet we still carry on, knowing what we did was for the greater good. Your companion…she murdered her mentor for the greater good, you had to infiltrate Darkmeyer and torture an old widow to gain the trust of those vampyres, you had several Miscellanian nobles and their families hung drawn and quartered to show them you would not tolerate those that refused to accept you as lord regent, you fought for Saradomin despite your hatred of him, so Zamorak would not destroy your hometown, you repeatedly lie to _her,_ in order o make her think favourable of you…you have done many things you did not want for the greater good, do _not_ talk as if you have never made such tough decisions."

"You still _lied_ ," Bryce insisted. "You said it wouldn't hurt her, you had her tongue removed; you tore it out. Why? Why did you lie?"

"Your affection for the girl has left you blind to reason," Zaros said. "Did you think for a moment had I told you the truth, you still would've brought her here without question? No, you would have been very conflicted, and you may have even let her leave on her own. Armed with that sort of information, the amount of people she could have told is endless. I did what I had to do; I lied so you would bring her here to swear that blood oath. I averted a potential catastrophe."

This time, Bryce did not say anything. He looked at the floor, and he pondered over the very words Zaros had spoken. _I would've definitely been conflicted, like I had been when I had to choose between my faction and my duty as the World Guardian to protect Gielinor from the gods. But would I have…ignored Zaros' instructions? Would I have chosen love over duty?_

He did not know, and he hoped there would never, ever be a time for him to make that choice.

 _But_ he _thinks I would've._ He _still doubts me. Does he know me better than myself? Would I have really chosen Ariane over Zaros?_

He remembered the times he visited the underground temple at the Varrock dig site and he would chat with Azzanadra and they would discuss Zaros and his philosophy, the old Empire and the city of Senntisten. He remembered being enamoured with Azzanadra's descriptions of the city, from the forum to the basilica to the coliseum. He remembered Azzanadra telling him that Zaros was the patron god of the ancient spells and curses, and being instantly fascinated by the mysterious god. He remembered asking him about Zaros and Azzanadra answering all his questions and telling him what a perfect god Zaros was and how he gave the Empire centuries of peace and prosperity and how he was never corrupted by power, until he was so taken in by the former Pontifex Maximus that he wanted to follow Zaros too. He remembered the day he decided to act on his wishes. He remembered telling Azzanadra he wanted to know more about the Second Age and the Mahjarrat responded to that by giving him a history book he had written himself, and he remembered travelling all the way to Ghorrock for the Frostenhorn and Morytania for the Barrows icon, braving through the elements of Freneskae to restore his god.

_All this time…I thought I've been a loyal Zarosian…could it be…that despite all I've done, my loyalty is still…wavering?_

"What's done is done," Zaros declared. "To agonize over the past cripples our thoughts of the future. Do not procrastinate for fear of what might have been, or what might become. To do anything else would make you a poor World Guardian."

There was a long pause before Bryce looked up and spoke again. "As you say, my lord."

"Until the next time I call upon you, World Guardian," Zaros said. "Until that time comes, _pax tecum_."

With a flash of purple lightning, Zaros teleported away, leaving Bryce alone in the Sanctum. He thought about Ariane waiting for him by the World Gate, he thought of her sweet smile and her happily telling him that she had seen the light and would now help Zaros, and her telling him they would fight for the same side, together.

He'd always dreamed about such a situation, and in his daydreams he would always be ecstatic about Ariane's change of heart, but now he was anything but. He tried to picture how the oath had gone, how Zaros pulled out her tongue, how she must've screamed.

He wanted to kick himself. He failed to protect Ariane again, now his incompetence had cost Ariane her free will. Bryce sighed deeply, and sat down on the ground.

_I said I'd protect her, and I couldn't even do that…it's all just empty words now...I always tell myself I'd keep her safe…and…now…_

His hands curled into fists and he slammed them onto the ground. _Zaros lied…he lied to me…_

_But why? He's so honourable and just…why would he need to lie?_

_Did you think for a moment had I told you the truth, you still would've brought her here without question?_ He recalled. _No, you would have been very conflicted, and you may have even let her leave on her own._

_He said that if I made the wrong choice, I could've brought about a disaster, Ariane could've told someone…an enemy…or anyone who could've informed the enemy of our plans. He prevented that…so…_

_Zaros lied for the greater good, right? That means he must've_ not _wanted to lie, right? He must've hated that…yet he knew he had to…that must be why…it has to be!_

He sighed again, and thought of the many times he did things for the greater good, things he never wanted. He didn't know what to feel; he understood perfectly well that every man must do unpleasant, even ugly things for the greater good, yet Zaros' deed left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

He did not want to go back to the World Gate, he did not want to face Ariane, he did not want to be reminded of his failures. Yet he knew he could not stay in Freneskae forever, Mah would absorb the Anima he emitted and wake up, and without Zaros, she would most certainly obliterate him.

And he could not keep Ariane waiting forever.

Slowly Bryce got up, and made his way to the cave entrance. He sighed for the third time before he ran out and ran through Freneskae again, avoiding lightning, lava and steam until he reached the other side of the World Gate in Gielinor.

He was face to face with Ariane the moment he left the Gate, and Bryce kept his expression as composed as possible when he looked into her green eyes.

"What did he say?" she asked. "What did Zaros want?"

"Not much," he said.

Ariane raised her eyebrows. "If he wanted to talk to you he clearly had something to say."

"He told me to keep it confidential," Bryce told her. "He told me to tell no one. If he wanted anyone else to know, he wouldn't have told me to come to him alone."

She had no weapon against that argument, and however much she wanted to know, she wouldn't defy Zaros' orders.

"Let's go, Ariane" Bryce said.

"Where to?"

Bryce paused. He thought of his home in Taverley, with its pale grey stones and magenta rose gardens, the World Gate and the realm it let to, where Ariane received her answers and lost her free will. He thought of Port Sarim with its many ships he could charter and all the ports they could go to, the small kingdom of Miscellania with its king still grateful to him for breaking the yeti's curse, the elven rebel camp Lletya surrounded by trees and poisoned wire traps and the ogre spa resort Oo'glog with its health springs and shops and tourists.

"Somewhere far away from here."

And without another word, he ran north. Ariane followed, and while she sometimes glanced back at the World Gate and watched it get smaller and smaller, Bryce never looked back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first time, I think, I've ever described food in a story. Most of the time, I don't really bother with what anyone's eating, but I was hungry when I wrote the first draft, so I included a description of what they were eating, and I didn't delete that while I was editing 'cause I sort of liked it.
> 
> Yes, Ariane runs around Freneskae in heels. That's meant to be a shout out to Jurassic World, the scene where Claire, Bryce Dallas Howard's character—no, I did not name Bryce after her, I came up with this character before I even saw the trailer to Jurassic World, runs in heels to lure the T-Rex to the Indominus Rex. I don't care what anyone says about that scene being unrealistic or allegedly "sexist," that scene was awesome. I also gave her a last name, and I aged her down to 20, even though the Runescape wiki says she's 25. I just thought if she was 25, she'd be too old to be a love interest for Bryce who's 21.
> 
> And you may have noticed, in this instalment, it's revealed that Zaros isn't going to fight the Elder gods or combine with Seren to become an Elder. Both of them are fan theories I've seen on the Runescape lore forums, and the more I think about it the more unlikely they seem. The former just feels...off. Sure, it'd be pretty badass for Zaros to fight the other gods, use the Elder Artefacts and the Stone of Jas to ascend to Elder godhood and then fight the Elders. I'm a sucker for the cool factor, I'll admit that. But it doesn't feel as plausible to me now, as it did when I first read that theory. How can Zaros fight the Elder gods if he can't beat Zamorak? C'mon, the guy was a mortal at the time, if Zaros was such a powerful tier 2 god, how was he not able to win against Zamorak? Plus, it's sort of out of character for him to fight in the open, he's a more "manipulating everyone and everything behind the shadows" guy. The latter just feels too obvious, I don't think Jagex will go for that.
> 
> So yes, Zaros is making them think he's going to get the Stone and the Elder Artefacts to get stronger to fight the Elder gods, when he's really going for something else. Because he's Zaros, and he likes to keep secrets like that. Still, he's 9001 times more trustworthy than Sliske.
> 
> I was originally going to include ancient combat abilities in Zaros' demonstration, but then I realised that'd make EoC a thing in my fanfic universe, and I didn't want to do that because that would open up a can of worms. Just look at magic abilities, how are we even able to use them? Don't we we need runes to do magic? And look at the dragon breath ability, how are we even able to breathe fire?
> 
> And that part where Zaros says "life will find a way," that's a reference to Jurassic Park. Yeah, I really liked those movies. That part where Zaros pulls her tongue out (I hope that wasn't too violent or anything, I was not going for a gorefest there) and gives a her new one made of his own shard, that was inspired by what I know about the parasite Cymothoa exigua, which attaches itself to a fish's tongue, causing it to atrophy and fall off, then the parasite takes place of the tongue and it functions just like a tongue.
> 
> Zaros was not an easy character to write, and I hope I got him right. That part where he says "yes I lied about how much pain the blood oath would involve, but I didn't want to do it," that could be taken in two ways: either he was telling the truth about not wanting to force loyalty but he had to do it for the greater good, or he lied in the first place when he was in our head in Fate of the Gods and he actually likes forcing people to be loyal to him. You can interpret it however you want, depending on how you feel about Zaros.
> 
> Zaros' moral ambiguity was a response to a review a review I received about too much pro-Zaros material in the previous chapter. I thought about that, and I realised the reviewer was right, I needed something to balance that out. Speaking of pro-Zaros material, you may/may not have noticed that Zaros and Ariane's conversation didn't have anything about demons, vampyres or how he tricked Hostilius into granting him a demon army, or what he thought of Saradomin, Armadyl, Bandos etc. About that...there is a deleted scene where they do talk about it and Ariane asks him why he was so opposed. That ended up deleted because it didn't transition well enough into the next scene. You see, when you write a story, you don't just jump from idea 1 to idea 2. It has to flow smoothly from one idea/paragraph to another. That scene wasn't doing that very well, so it ended up being deleted.
> 
> From the look of how it's all going, Bryce is shaping up to be a failure hero. He vows to protect Ariane, but the circumstances always get the better of him. That's not really what I intended, and I might have to really consider how I write him in my next Runescape fic, which deals with Dishonour Among Thieves.


	2. Deleted Scene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The deleted scene I mentioned, where Zaros telling Ariane of his encounters with demons and vampyres and how he trick Hostilius into granting him his legions. Plus he gives her his opinions on Armadyl and Saradomin and he explains why he was so opposed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my draft, she says "you travelled through the universe..." aka the first line right after he tells her he left Mah.

**The following is a deleted scene.**

“You travelled through the universe,” Ariane said. “You met other races…demons and vampyres…and Mahjarrat, and you built an empire when you came to Gielinor.”

“That I did,” Zaros agreed. “Demons were the first conscious life I encountered after leaving Freneskae. I was fascinated by their culture, language, government, and beliefs. I took the Infernal tongue for my own, and I used that language to seal them in a pact of servitude. Do not judge demonkind by those you have experienced. You will have only met the embittered Avernic slaves Zamorak led in an uprising after my banishment. My pact was with their Chthonian masters. Their forms were a seemingly random array of appendages, but they had one unifying trait: the ability to absorb knowledge from that which they ate. Ergo, within the strictures of demonic law, cannibalism was outlawed. Tellingly, the punishment for many crimes was to be eaten. Thus those in power grew ever more knowledgeable and vast.”

Ariane felt a bit queasy. He had demons serving under him...demons that he forced into servitude...but Bryce said…he said Zaros was the ideal god, and yet...

“I can sense your unease that I would ally myself with such beings,” Zaros began, as if he read her mind. “But you should understand that they were not monsters. They were vastly intelligent, their pursuits cultural and artistic. Their value was in the militaristic Avernic forces they marshalled, and they rarely involved themselves directly in combat. Even though they were immensely difficult to kill, their numbers dwindled over the destruction of my empire. It is possible that some still survive to this day, buried in the deep places of the world.”

“Why force them into servitude?”

Zaros told her his tale of how he arrived in Infernus and asked the demon leader Hostilius for a legion of demons in exchange for the secret to travel between planes. They had decided to make a pact, so both would honour their end of the deal, but Hostilius had tried to trick him; he’d said all of his legions would belong to the eldest signatory, thinking he won, until Zaros revealed that he was far older than the demon lord had ever imagined.

Upon hearing this, she stopped feeling uncomfortable. After all, she’d tricked a demon too, and she knew that his intent mattered more than the act itself.

“And vampyres?” she asked.

“I was initially less convinced by the vampyres,” Zaros said. “But being only the second race I encountered, I had little to compare them to. At first, they were nothing more than predatory beasts, but I applied what I had learned from the demons and gave them a society. As with any burgeoning society, there was bloodshed and civil war... but eventually an aristocracy rose up that persists to this day. Even vampyres have the potential for good or ill, but their thirst is ever present and often overcomes their will. Demons and vamyres were just the first races I encountered. These races originate from the lower planes—these being the earliest creations of the elder gods, and which are nearest to Freneskae. I would have gladly accepted all mortal species under my banner, but by the time I'd reached the higher planes, those races had adopted the doctrines of other gods.”

“Like Saradomin? And Armadyl?”

Zaros nodded. “Saradomin is self-righteous, seeing things only in extremes. It was from him that I first learned of the notions of good and evil. I dismiss such notions—there are only actions and consequences. We agreed to disagree. Everything to him is either black or white, but he himself exists in the grey. Ergo, he is a contradiction. Yet many have prospered under his rule, most notably your species... so there is some merit in what he espouses. And he has become the most powerful young god in the wake of Guthix's end. He would make for a good envoy, if only he would widen his world view a little.”

Ariane didn’t know what to think about that; she wasn’t sure if she would agree with his philosophy that there was no good or evil, just actions and consequences.

Zaros kept talking. “And when I knew Armadyl, he was idealistic and naïve, but his intentions were always pure. There is value in that. Azzanadra has told me of the tragic loss Armadyl suffered during the God Wars. If he had given into his despair I would have no interest in him, but his recent victory over Bandos suggests this event has forged him. I shall watch his progress intently. As for Bandos…he had a brilliant strategic mind and an innate ability to expose the truth in any situation. If only he could have curtailed his eternal desire for war, he might have proven useful. I have more interest in the one who defeated him, and in those who will succeed him.”

“Succeed him? But he’s dead,” she pointed out.

“The god may die, but the philosophy is eternal,” Zaros said. “In time, another will grow to take his place, be they a god or not.”

She thought he was right on that one. Bandos’ followers, no doubt, would not give up so easily. Though they’d retreated, she knew they were hidden somewhere in Gielinor, plotting to strike back. The notion of that made a drop of sweat run down her face.

As long as they don't find an Elder Artefact, we should be okay, she thought. And I hope they never find an Elder Artefact. Bandosians would use it to wreck all sorts of havoc on the world...

She stood in silence for a few seconds, imagining what Gielinor would look like should that happen, before she realised her train of thought was getting off track. She re-focused them on the topic at hand.

He built an empire, and Bryce made it sound like paradise, Ariane thought, what Bryce had mentioned about the cement roads, long aqueduct bridges, ornate victory arches, and libraries overflowing with now lost spell scrolls. But if it was so good...

“Why were you so opposed?”

“Sometimes, simply being the largest target is enough to become vilified,” Zaros replied. “But it is also because I sought unification. I wanted to bring all the young gods under one banner, but they would not recognise my divinity. I would have welcomed them all, but they were blinkered by their own narrow, dogmatic views, and so they rejected me. In the old days, I started wars over that. After he deposed me, Zamorak feared retribution from those remnants of my empire who remained loyal to me, while Saradomin sought my secrets. Whether to steal them or bury them, I cannot say.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to keep it, it was a good scene I thought, it had Zaros reveal more of his history to Ariane. But I had to delete it, it didn't fit well into the scene. It was starting to get off topic. They went from his past to his philosophy. By itself it doesn't seem too bad, but in the context of the scene, they were still supposed to be discussing his past, and by the end of this (now deleted) scene, Ariane's supposed to be reflecting on his birthright to be an Elder god. Like I said, when you write a story, you can't just jump from one idea to another, because it sounds awkward and disorganised. The two ideas have to be connected in order to transition well, this scene wasn't doing that, when the topic jumped from his philosophy back to his alleged birthright, it just sounded off, and I couldn't have that in the final copy.


End file.
